Left, BJP fume over fuel hike, plan stir

New Delhi: Congress, leading the UPA coalition, on Monday joined the BJP and the supporting Left parties and JD(S) in demanding a review of the hike in petroleum product prices saying the increase would hit the common man.

The Cabinet in a meeting on Monday decided to hike the petrol price by Rs 4 and diesel price by Rs 2 with effect from Monday midnight. LPG and kerosene have been spared.

"The Congress opposes the hike in petroleum prices and wants the excessive increase to be reduced in the interest of the common man," party spokesman Rajiv Shukla said.

But he also underlined that the government move was prompted by rise in global crude prices.

Terming the hike as an "anti-people" act, BJP announced protests, including road blockades, across the country on Wednesday as part of its agitation programme against the decision.

The Left parties strongly opposed the move and demanded that the hike be rescinded.

The parties, meeting on Tuesday to chalk out their protest programme, also decided to consult other parties to announce a nationwide action plan.

Central trade unions also decided to observe countrywide protest day on June 13 against the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

Maintaining that this was the fifth consecutive increase effected by the UPA government in the last two years, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau described the move as "unconscionable" and said the hike would impose an unbearable burden on the people who were already suffering from price rise of all essential commodities.

Describing the government decision as "unjustifiable", CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu said, "we will hit the streets against the decision."

"The protests would be in the form of demonstrations, sit-ins and rallies."

CPI National Secretary D Raja also opposed the hike saying it would have a cascading effect on inflation.

He said the Left parties had sent a note to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggesting alternate ways to avoid the price hike, but the government did not pay heed to the alternate proposals.

"Had the government listened to us, the hike would have been avoided," he added.

Another supporting party, JD (S), while condemning the hike, said the government should have reduced customs and excise duties on crude oil.

He also threatened to take the issue to the streets, beginning with a rally in Lucknow on June seven, which will be addressed by party President H D Deve Gowda.